Chaz Davies made the perfect tyre choice to win a dramatic World Superbike race at Magny-Cours.
The Welshman reaped the benefits of starting the 21-lap race on an intermediate rear while most of the grid opted for full wets after a wet morning at the French track.
After last night and this morning’s downpour, the weather had slowly improved over the course of the morning and as a result the track was dry on the line and wet off, meaning tyre choice was more important than ever.
Polesitter Jonathan Rea got the best start, the Kawasaki Racing Team rider leading the pack into the first corner but he was soon passed by team-mate Tom Sykes who was keen to claw back some championship points.
Davies, who had raised a few eyebrows with his choice of tyre on the Aruba Ducati went backwards off the line, dropping to 12th as Honda boys Michael Van Der Mark and Nicky Hayden jostled for third and fourth.
A mistake from Rea on Lap Two allowed Hayden to get past but the series leader was having none of it and was quick to take the place back as he set off to catch his team-mate at the front.
Behind, MV Agusta Reparto Corse Brit Leon Camier was flying, moving up to third on Lap Three. The Hondas were still scrapping, allowing Lorenzo Savadori to catch and by the fifth lap the IodaRacing Aprilia man was past them both and into fourth.
Hayden was the first man to pit to change rubber on the sixth lap but it all went wrong as the factory team didn’t seem to be ready with a tyre. Davies meanwhile was picking up the pace and up to ninth, while Camier was starting to pressure Rea.
Within two laps Camier had passed both Kawasaki Racing Team riders and was in the lead. Van Der Mark followed team-mate Hayden’s lead and swapped to slicks while Savadori was still flying too, and he was up to third behind Rea.
Davies was now running eighth and after Van Der Mark re-joined and set the fastest lap, it was clear the riders still on wets were going to start to suffer.
At the end of Lap 11 both Sykes and Rea pitted to change tyres, re-joining in ninth and 10th positions respectively. Camier was still leading, some 2.349s ahead of Savadori and Davies was on a charge and running fourth.
It was now clear Camier was never going to be able to hold the lead until the chequered flag, and sure enough Savadori stole it on the 15th lap. But Davies was closing in at a rapid rate and came through and into the lead a lap later.
Van Der Mark was also flying, while the Kawasaki boys were coming through the field. On the 18th lap Rea made a mistake and almost clipped the back of Sykes but managed to recover.
With two laps to go it was clear that Van Der Mark had made the right choice at the right time, as he seared past Savadori into second. Sykes was also feeling comfortable, moving past Camier for fourth on the penultimate lap and then catching and passing Savadori to steal the final podium place on the last lap.
Davies won by 9.871s over Van Der Mark, with Sykes leading Rea over the line. Savadori had to make do with fifth with the Pedercini Racing Kawasaki of Matthieu Lagrive a strong sixth.
Despite his impressive run, Camier could do no better than seventh, crossing the line ahead of the Barni Racing Team Ducati of Xavi Fores with Sylvain Guintoli’s Pata Yamaha ninth and the second IodaRacing Aprilia of Alex De Angelis 10th.
Alex Lowes just missed out on a top 10 as he finished 11th, just ahead of outgoing BSB champ Josh Brookes.
